Extreme Clipper

An extreme clipper is a clipper designed to sacrifice cargo capacity for speed. They had a bow lengthened above the water, a drawing out and sharpening of the forward body, and the greatest breadth further aft. Extreme clippers were built in the period 1845 to 1855.

From 1851 or earlier another type of clipper ship was also being built, the medium clipper. Two early examples are the Antelope of Boston (1851): "The design of her model was to combine large stowage capacity with good sailing qualities"; and the Golden Fleece (1852): "In the form of her ends she is of the medium model." The medium clipper, though still very fast, had comparatively more allowance for cargo.

After 1854 extreme clippers were replaced in shipbuilding yards by medium clippers. "...after 1854, a fine class of ships, known as medium clippers, was constructed, some of which proved exceedingly fast, and remarkable passages continued to be made. Many of these medium clippers would be considered very sharp and heavily sparred vessels at the present time."

The last extreme clippers were built in 1855.

Extreme clippers remained in vogue only a few years. Owing to the depth and sharpness of their floors they lacked stability, and in consequence of the sharpness of the ends those parts did not have buoyancy enough to sustain their own weight—a fact which led to the straining and weakening of the vessel. A change was made in 1855 by joining to the clipper top, bow, and stern the fuller bottom of the old-fashioned freighting ship. The midship section, or widest part of the ship, was also moved farther aft, so as to be only a trifle forward of the middle of the ship's length, and the vessel was made to float substantially on an even keel. That style of vessel remains in use to the present day [1884], although capacity is now the chief aim in American sailing ships rather than speed.

Duncan McLean, the marine reporter who wrote at least 161 more or less detailed descriptions of ships launched in Boston and elsewhere in New England for the Boston Daily Atlas between April 1850 and March 1857, defined an extreme clipper as "clippers of 40 inches dead rise at half floor". By his definition extreme clippers ceased to be built after early 1852.

In the midst of the great clipper boom, in early 1851, he wrote "Nearly all the clipper ships which have been built recently, have had 40 inches dead rise at half floor." This was followed in late 1852 by his comment "It is therefore doubtful whether another clipper, having 40 inches dead rise, will be built."

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Wikipedia